Remote working 101: office essentials for the perfect work from home environment

Remote working was a thing long before the coronavirus pandemic started. A lot of professionals from different industries were already familiar with the work from home concept, and they enjoyed its benefits to the fullest.

Long commutes, crowded public transportation, spending ages in the morning to get ready for work, or constant distractions were replaced with comfort, flexibility, better work-life balance, and money-saving.

Yet for those who have been forced to switch from a traditional office setting to remote working in a blink of an eye during the lockdown, the transition wasn’t smooth, and these benefits were partially overshadowed by the difficulties in adapting to the new work environment. But when adapting is your only choice, you’ve got to make things work no matter what.

For doing your obligations without difficulties you should create an area where you can do your work with pleasure. This level of comfort can be achieved by getting all the necessary office equipment which will help you to organize your workflow easily and it will be incredibly beneficial for you to work at home.

So, if you find yourself in a similar situation and you want to make the most of your work from home time, here are some office essentials you might want to include in the setting. All these items can help you create a more comfortable workspace and increase your productivity while working from home.

1. A good laptop or PC

These days, most employees rely on a laptop or a computer to perform their daily activities. Hence, it’s probably the essential piece of equipment in an office setting, be it at home or on the company premises. If you already have a personal desktop or laptop at home or a work computer, then you’re good to go.

Otherwise, you’ll have to do a bit of research and purchase one ASAP. Buying a performant device is no small investment, but you can always search for buy now pay later electronics if you can’t afford the costs of purchasing a new computer.

2. A large monitor

Even if your laptop works like a charm, spending hours in front of a small screen can strain your eyes and give you severe headaches. That’s why it’s recommended to use a large monitor for your office setting.

Once you’ve upgraded to a more widescreen, you’ll never go back to your old one, and you’ll immediately understand how this can significantly enhance your work experience.

3. The perfect desk

If you want to create a great workstation, you have to choose a suitable desk, for starters. A simple traditional desk is a fine choice, as long as you have the space for it.

Ideally, you should place it in a separate room where you want to set up your home office, but if a dedicated office space is not an option, you can find a quiet corner in any of the rooms you have and build your workstation there.

4. A comfortable chair

A suitable desk can only be paired with a comfortable chair. Hours can fly by when you’re busy working, and before you even realize, you’ve spent half a day staring at your computer screen, hardly moving a muscle. This can easily lead to issues such as tense muscles or neck and back problems.

But an ergonomic office chair with adjustable features can be a complete game-changer, providing comfort and ensuring you maintain a correct posture so that you can avoid these issues.

5. Laptop stand

If you’re working on a laptop and you don’t want to be confined to a fixed office setting – which is understandable since you’re working from home – you should consider getting a laptop stand.

Then you can take your work with you wherever you go. Do you want to be productive while lying in bed? Get your laptop stand and work away.

Feeling like grabbing a snack, but you don’t want to interrupt what you’re doing? Place your laptop stand on the kitchen table, and you’re all set.

6. Headphones

Are the neighbours having a party while you’re desperately trying to meet an important deadline? Or does the traffic noise drive you crazy? You can avoid all these distractions and work uninterrupted if you use a nice pair of noise-cancelling headphones.

They’re perfect when you need to tune out the noisy world around you and stop external elements from breaking your focus. But they’re also great if you want to listen to some inspiring tunes to keep you motivated while working.

7. Webcam

In most cases, working remotely also implies a lot of Zoom meetings. If that’s the case for you as well, the low video quality of your laptop webcam can get in the way of a productive video conference.

No one wants to look at pixels and frozen screens while they’re talking to someone on Zoom, so the obvious solution here would be to invest in a dedicated webcam.

You don’t have to spend a fortune on a good webcam. If you shop around a bit, you’ll find reliable devices at reasonable prices.

8. Speakers

You are wondering what speakers are doing on this list? No, we’re not suggesting to throw a party since you have the opportunity to work from the comfort and privacy of your own home now – although that’s not such a bad idea after all.

But if you live alone and the idea of using headphones doesn’t appeal to you, speakers are the next best thing. You can turn up the volume and put your favourite songs on repeat all day long. There won’t be anyone around to nag you so that you can spice up your work life with some motivational beats.

9. Storage solutions

It’s not all about gadgets and devices when it comes to creating a great home office setup. Yes, we rely heavily on technology for all kinds of tasks, but there are other aspects to consider as well.

Paperwork is not extinct yet, and if your work involves a lot of files and documents, you better find a way to keep them all organized.

So, it would help if you had a cabinet or a drawer chest where you can keep all your paperwork, folders, equipment and office supplies.

This can make your life so much easier as you’ll know exactly where everything is, and you won’t lose precious time looking for a needle in a haystack.